Florida

We got to spend a weekend in Florida with Janelle, Lucas, & Axel. Logan was super excited about the airport. This must be one of the best parts of having kids-- getting to share a little bit of the joy they get out of every day things that we long ago wrote off as inconvenient and annoying. Its kind of like school buses. Where as before they were unnoticed at best or annoying if you got stuck behind one, now my automatic reaction to seeing a school bus is, hurray, a school bus! And if we're lucky enough to get behind one, which doesn't happen often, so much the better for studying its every movement, the way the lights flash, the sign comes out, the kids get on and off, and imagining that far away day when we're five and we finally get to ride one.

The airport was like that for Logan. He thought the parking garage was awesome. The elevator, the escalator, the moving walkway, the train-- pretty much a 2 year old's amusement park. As we heard the train approaching, he turned and said breathlessly "Is it Thomas?" We were pretty sure it was one of his friends at least. Riding the escalators up and down and practicing our dismounts killed a good half hour. Pushing buttons on the elevator was thrilling. He loved the conveyor through the security scanner, loved looking out the windows watching all the little trucks zoom around the planes loading bags and refueling the planes. He kept turning to me with this big open grin saying "I'm so excited!" The highlight was when a pilot boarded the plane right in front of us. Logan spotted him in the terminal and then it was like we were standing next to his lifelong hero for the next 5 minutes. He just stared at him and turned to me every so often to make sure I was equally impressed.

One thing Logan was not so impressed with was sitting in his own seat. I had to hold him down during takeoff and he through a huge fit. We were on a little plane and I’m sure everyone thought I was torturing the poor child with the way he screamed. On the up side, he wore himself out with all the struggling and slept the rest of the way there.

Logan was super excited to see his cousins. He and Axel had a ball riding in the car together and playing super heroes, legos, trains, and hide and seek. Lucas would make funny faces and do silly dances and Logan thought he was hysterical. Axel gave Logan a bagful of his Thomas trains that’s he’s outgrown. Logan was in love and sleeps with them every night now. The first night he got them in Florida, he lined the trains up along his pillow in bed (which was a mattress on the floor next to our bed). The next morning, the trains were there, but Logan was not. I looked everywhere, and finally got out a flashlight and found him under our bed—way in the middle, where he’d had to wiggle past all sorts of other things stored under the bed to get there. I had to pull him out by his feet. I have no idea what motivated him to crawl way under there, but it seems his trains had priority for the bed.

We’ve been looking at pictures today and Logan keeps asking to go over to Lucas & Axel's house. If only if it was that easy. Here are some photos from the weekend:

Logan & Lucas at the Armament Museum

Testing out all the buttons in the A10 Warthog at the museum

Sandcastles at the beach.  Logan thought this was the best sandbox ever.



Axel instructing Logan on how to pat the sand down to make a good sand castle

The masterpiece

Tree fort.  The trees were dripping with Spanish moss

Serious tool conversation

Swinging at the park

Axel let Logan help with legos, but Logan didn't really do it right.

Super Logan!

Super Axel and Super Logan

What's more fun than wearing a bucket on your head?

Winter update

The past month or so has gone something like this:
Week 1: Kate sick
Week 2: Mark sick
Week 3: Logan sick
Week 4: repeat

Logan was the sickest I’ve ever seen him. He did not get up off the couch for 5 days. I think I’ve watched enough Sprout to last a lifetime. We finally went to the doctor on day 5 and they took pity on him and gave him some antibiotics and within a day he was racing around the house again. Then I kind of missed the mellow sick Logan. He hates the antibiotics… screams and kicks as Mark holds him down. You’d think he was being tortured. Tammy does it for us during the week. I don’t have the heart. But that’s okay, I’ve surrounded myself with people that do.

This sickness coincided with him officially going off mama milk. I don’t think it’s a coincidence—I’ve heard that happens. I remember somebody saying that after a few days, they’d forget all about nursing. Maybe that’s true if they’re weaned at 1. At 2, Logan has asked for milk every day for 2 weeks. He has a long memory. I think that’s part of the reason he holds grudges so long.

Somewhere around week 2, I went on a work trip. This was the first one I’ve been on since Logan was born, besides a one night trip to DC. Neither Mark nor I travel much, but Mark’s been gone at least 3 or 4 weeks, and I was pretty sure it was my turn for a week away. It didn’t hurt that it was Key West. I won’t lie, it was pretty great. I got to go for sunset runs along the water, had at least a whole hour every day to do whatever I wanted to do, and I didn’t hear TV the whole week. I didn’t sleep as much as I dreamed I would, though. Mark & Logan enjoyed themselves too—Logan actually paid some attention to Mark without me there. As an extra bonus, I got to see my Aunt Susie one night, and she made Christmas Eve dinner for me. We attempted to replicate it here in Colorado this Christmas, but there’s nothing like the real thing.

Here are some pictures from the last month:



Pretty sunset on the drive home.  Maybe someday I'll get that cracked windshield replaced.



Logan helping Daddy stick clip his route

Attempting to get Logan to nap at the crag.  Didn't work.

The view from my hotel in Key West

If you're shoes are big enough, you don't have to wear pants

Family X-country ski trip turned hike.  We haven't had much snow this winter.

Logan's first time on skates.  This was the day before he turned two.

Mark taking his climbing OCD to a new level. He carried an umbrella up to the rest to shield himself from the hot sun.

Logan & Mark on a trip to the playground.  All Mark needs is a raccoon hat and they'll be twins.

Logan's Day

A few more pictures from Logan's days at daycare:

This is his best bud/ sworn enemy, Devon.  This look about sums up their friendship.

One of his favorite activities, swinging off countertops/ high chairs.  Encouraged by Daddy for building finger strength.

Logan and Tori, at a sleepover in December while Mommy & Daddy were on work travel.

Logan and Gracie. Tammy just gave him his medicine and he wants nothing to do with her.

Where Logan hides when he's done something bad.  Under the horse's butt.

Logan's favorite things, puppy and the Dora car.  All sorts of things get socked away in that seat.

Two

We kicked off Two Year's Eve with our first full-fledged tantrum.  We were at a work ice skating party, and Logan did not want to leave.  We got to carry him out kicking and screaming and sit in the car for 15 minutes until he calmed down enough to get buckled into the car seat.  Ah, two.

At two, Logan is smart and talkative around us, but shy around anybody outside his inner circle of family and daycare.  He takes a while to warm up to people.  He's learned to pull chairs around the house (with a horrible grating on the floor sound) to get up and into whatever he wants.  Typically lollipops.  He likes to walk around the house with our shoes flopping off his feet.  He races around the house on his bike, typically chasing or being chased by Mom, Dad, Kenny, or Buddy. He handles the iPad like a pro and loves to download apps.  (His first purchases, before we corrected the password settings, included Clash of the Clans and a Black Veil Brides album... we think that's Christian Heavy Metal.)

He loves spotting school buses on the way to daycare in the morning, and has learned that he will get to ride one when he's 5.  He knows where his future elementary school is and points it out as we drive by.  He gets great joy out of watching the sun peak in and out from behind the hills as we drive through the canyon in the morning.  He often points out "grandma's" house in Tammy's neighborhood, which is a house with an RV parked out front like last time we were in Oregon.  He wants to know what every road sign and trail sign says.  He has a good sense of direction-- he always knows the exit to our house, and seems to have an internal homing device for the ice cream shop and playgrounds, even those we've only been to once or twice.  He likes going to the park and pool with Daddy, and he likes to go grocery shopping.  His list always consists of lollipops and blueberries. 

My favorite Logan sayings are:
"I farted!  Where'd it go?  Outside!"
"Uh-oh, ding dong!"
"No way Jose!"

Here is the difference a year makes: 
  

                             One

Two

 

 We celebrated with a joint party with the other January babies again this year.  I'm not sure how long we can keep this up, but this is the way to do it... only 1/5th the cooking it would otherwise take, and I'm not due to host again until they're 6!


Here they are at one.

And at two



Logan & Ayla

Logan got a basketball hoop for his birthday

We also had a family celebration at home with Ginny, Kenny, & the Goetz's. Addy, at 5, is the best babysitter.  She pretty much takes over and Logan plays happily (without Mommy!).  That never happens. 

Logan & Addy inside Logan's new Thomas the train tent. 

Opening presents with Ginny

Birthday cake.  I'm going to call this a Dr. Seuss theme.

Logan had a few blowing out the candle opportunities this weekend.  Unfortunately, the first time he got too close and burned his lip, so he refused to blow out any candles after that. "Mommy do it!" 

We spaced Logan's Christmas presents out over a few days, and then did the same with his birthday.  The problem is, he now thinks he should be getting presents every day.  Every day I hear, "One more present Mommy?  Just a little bit?"  (That's his argument for everything he wants that he's not supposed to have or do... "just a little bit?") There are actually several unopened presents in the hall closet from Mark's last minute Christmas shopping spree, but they're waiting for next Christmas/birthday because there's not room for anymore toys in the house.  We've already turned the entryway into a basketball court, the living room into his train room, and the rest of the house into his bike course. We're thinking of building an addition, but maybe we better not... I imagine the toys would just expand to consume the new space. 

Christmas Part 2

Christmas part 2 started on the 27th when Karen & Marshall arrived for a weeklong visit. We got to have a second Christmas morning of presents, plus lots of skating, zoo lights, and Logan-Grandpa time. Logan LOVED his grandpa-- they wrestled, chased eachother around the house, and generally had a grand time. It was fun to see.  

Hot chocolate break during skating at the lake

Logan and Grandpa wrestling

Grandpa chasing Logan as he whizzes down the hall on his bike.  This always started by Logan approaching Grandpa saying "I'm gonna get you"-- which really means he wants you to get him.

Zoo lights!

Logan got to ride the carousel at the zoo, which he loved.

They had lots of cool lanterns hanging at Zoo Lights.

 We spent New Years Eve at the lake, where they had a big party with a DJ, sleigh rides, marshmallow roasting, mini ice golf, skating, and fireworks. The best part was they set off fireworks at both 8pm and midnight, so we only had to make it until 8. Logan usually doesn't last too long at the lake-- probably because we pull him around on a sled and he freezes while we get warm skating. New Years Eve though, he loved it, and he cried the whole way home when we made him leave. I think it was the fireworks he liked so much.

New Years Eve at Skate the Lake.  Logan loved the fireworks.



Watching the fireworks.  I got a new super warm hooded puffy for my birthday!

Ice sculptures at Skate the Lake.  They had some that formed a miniature golf course too, with ice tunnels to shoot your balls through. 

Thanks for visiting, Karen & Marshall!  We can't wait for the next trip!